Riggleman Quits (split from 6/23 IGT)

[HahnSolo]

I heard Riggleman on the FAN with Craig Carton this morning (good and surprising get for Carton, BTW), and it sounds like he was most irked by the fact that Rizzo got a 5-year extension after last season, and he got nada.

[G-Fafif]

HahnSolo wrote: I heard Riggleman on the FAN with Craig Carton this morning (good and surprising get for Carton, BTW), and it sounds like he was most irked by the fact that Rizzo got a 5-year extension after last season, and he got nada.

I think Riggleman's on a damage control tour. He did Francesa after the Mets game last evening.

[G-Fafif]

Received an e-mail from mlb.com a little while ago with the following header:

Manage a MLB Team on Facebook

I wonder if Riggleman received it, too -- and if he unsubscribed immediately.

[TransMonk]

I agree with the SI guy that says his major league career is finished.

Both parties were being stubborn and child-like in this situation, but Riggleman does not have the career winning track record to justify "demanding" a contract extention. Sorry, Jim. There is a reason you were managing the Nats on such a short leash. Respect for a manager is usually dictated by a history of winning, not on how old you are.

[Fman99]

ESPN reporting that Davey Johnson will be tapped as skipper. Last managed the 2000 Dodgers.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Dam Nit.

[metirish]

Isn't it a good thing that Davey is back in the dugout? , I understand the affection with which he is held but good for him.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I suppose.

I worry a lot more about a Nats team with that talent if it's got a guy like Davey pushing the buttons for it.

[Frayed Knot]

John McLaren has just been tossed out of what may prove to be his only game as Nationals manager.

Tough to blame him. On a tag play the 1st base ump's out call was over-ruled by the home plate ump.
Probably a correct over-rule, but I don't know if I've ever seen a judgement call overturned like that.

[Benjamin Grimm]

metirish wrote: Isn't it a good thing that Davey is back in the dugout? , I understand the affection with which he is held but good for him.

Well, yeah. But if he was interested in managing again, I would have preferred him to be doing it in Queens.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A young team he can mold to his vision might get him going again, but I got the feeling that the fire had gone out of his belly in recent years.

[Frayed Knot]

Davey long claimed he was no longer interested in managing.
Now, not only is he apparently going to take this job, but rumor has it it's NOT going to be merely to fill out the season as he's going to be snagging the three-year deal that the team famously refused to give to Riggleman.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Johnson loses his debut 4-3 to the Angels.

I'm suspecting that Johnson was the Nats target all along, and moreover, I suspect that Riggleman suspected it.

[Vic Sage]

my strongest 'huzzah's go out to anybody who feels like they're getting screwed by their boss and has the wherewithal to tell them to take their job and shove it. I wish i felt free to do so.

[bmfc1]

I thought that Wally would leave Binghamton to become Davey's bench coach but that job belongs to Pat Corrales.

Edited June 28, 2011 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: Johnson loses his debut 4-3 to the Angels.

Although the Nats continue to get an amazing number of late HRs.
Last night it was a 2-out 9th inning solo HR to tie the game by 2B Danny Espinosa one day after he won a game with a 2R HR in the 7th.
They lost last night's game in the 10th but have had just 9 hits combined over the last three games but have been in every game (going 1-2) because four of those hits have been HRs and they've been getting great starting pitching almost every night.
They're like the anti-Mets of late.

I'm suspecting that Johnson was the Nats target all along, and moreover, I suspect that Riggleman suspected it.

Or, if not Davey, then their target was at least a guy named 'Not Jim Riggleman'.
Not sure that would be enough for me to lose approx 400K over and probably kill any chance of ever getting the same job back all on account of not getting the job you've got this June guaranteed through next September ... but that's his call not mine.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: They're like the anti-Mets of late. I'm suspecting that Johnson was the Nats target all along, and moreover, I suspect that Riggleman suspected it. Or, if not Davey, then their target was at least a guy named 'Not Jim Riggleman'. Not sure that would be enough for me to lose approx 400K over and probably kill any chance of ever getting the same job back all on account of not getting the job you've got this June guaranteed through next September ... but that's his call not mine.

On the other hand, in terms of his qualifications he really quit while he was ahead at what's probably going to be right around the high-water mark for the Nats. He'll be credited with getting them going, and if/when they fall back down it won't be his fault.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, that might be part of his thinking. Don't know if other employers will see it as such, but...

[Frayed Knot]

On the other hand, in terms of his qualifications he really quit while he was ahead at what's probably going to be right around the high-water mark for the Nats. He'll be credited with getting them going, and if/when they fall back down it won't be his fault.

I too suspect some of their "luck" is going to run out soon ... BUT
- Ryan Zimmerman is now back after missing almost the entire season until last week
- Werth may never be Werth his contract but he also can't hit this bad forever
- and they'll probably see Strasburg before the end of the year

In the meantime, Espinosa at 2B has 15 HRs; Morse, now at 1B after LaRoche went down for the year, has 15 also in part-time duty; their defense is much improved; Ramos is a legit catcher; Marquis and Jordan Zimmermann are both healthy and they've got a ton of good arms in the pen.

IOW, I wouldn't count on them automatically turning back into pumpkins any time soon.

[Ceetar]

Not saying they're gonna lose the rest of their games, but I'd be surprised if they finish this high too.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Optimistic Nationals Fan would disagree with you.

[G-Fafif]

When I saw Davey Johnson's team lost last night, my reflex reaction was "damn," until I remembered who Davey Johnson's team was. Kind of like Piazza's first game at Shea as a Padre. He got on and I instinctively urged the next batter, Adrian Gonzalez, to bring him home...until I remembered Adrian Gonzalez wasn't a Met.

Still, I wish Davey well. I know he was wondering what I wished him.

[Frayed Knot]

So a day after I was praising how well the Nationals are playing they seemed to revert to their old ways: Marquis pitched poorly last night against the not great hitting Angels, the infield chipped in with five errors, and the bullpen (although not their top guys) got smacked around to make it a rout - all of which means that the Davey Johnson era is off to an 0-2 start.

[Frayed Knot]

Tied in the 7th last night with one out and a runner on 3rd, Davey calls for a first-pitch suicide squeeze.
So lumbering down the line comes big ol' Mike Morse except that the batter - catcher Wilson Ramos - misses the sign and swings away!! Morse hangs a quick right into foul territory but fortunately, both for Morse's health and the Nats' strategy, Ramos fouled the ball straight back.

But Davey wasn't about to let one failure get in the way of a good strategy, so two pitches later he puts the same play back on and Ramos/Morse pulled it off perfectly.
Nats win by that one run.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's not helping matters that Jayson Werth is playing awful. The other night, he went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Ramon F. Ortiz. That's after making comments that helped undermine Riggleman, who did everything to get the guy going this year.